Mike Pence slams Biden over handling of Afghanistan withdrawal: 'What a disgrace'

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, September 01, 2021

Afghans, hoping to leave Afghanistan, walk through the main entrance gate of Kabul airport in Kabul on August 28, 2021, following the Taliban stunning military takeover of Afghanistan. | WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images)

President Joe Biden is receiving criticism from politicians, members of the media and religious leaders after the United States ended its military presence in Afghanistan Tuesday, despite the fact that hundreds of Americans have yet to be evacuated.

In a speech to the nation Tuesday, Biden said “there’s about 100 to 200 Americans remaining in Afghanistan with some intention to leave.” The president insisted that in spite of the sizable number of Americans who remain in the country after the military completed its “Operation Allied Rescue” evacuation mission, “90% of Americans in Afghanistan who wanted to leave were able to leave.”

The New York Times reported that in addition to hundreds of American citizens, “potentially thousands of green card holders” remain in Afghanistan.

Many political figures, journalists and religious leaders did not react favorably to the news that hundreds of Americans who tried to flee Afghanistan remain in the country, which is now controlled by the Taliban. In addition, the president continued to face criticism for his handling of the pullout of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, which concluded Tuesday as the war came to a close after nearly 20 years.

A poll released by Pew Research Center Tuesday found that while a majority of Americans (54%) believe exiting Afghanistan was the right decision, a plurality of Americans (42%) rated the Biden administration’s handling of the situation in Afghanistan as “poor.” An additional 29% rated the administration’s performance as “only fair,” while 21% described its handling of the withdrawal as “good,” and 6% characterized it as “excellent.”

The Afghanistan withdrawal has taken a toll on the president’s approval rating. As of Wednesday, one day after the pullout of the remaining U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Biden’s approval rating in the Real Clear Politics average of polls stood at 46.8% while his disapproval rating had reached 48.7%. Prior to the Afghanistan pullout, Biden consistently had a positive net approval rating, meaning more Americans approved of his performance than disapproved.

Here are reactions to the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Biden administration’s execution of it, and reports that hundreds of Americans remain in Afghanistan.